By KEITH UPCHURCH

kupchurch@heraldsun.com; 419-6612

DURHAM -- Durham County Commissioners on Monday night approved plans by the public schools to buy land for a future elementary school at 3901 S. Roxboro Road in the Hope Valley Farms subdivision.

The price is $1.87 million, more than $1 million less than the appraised value of $2.938 million.

The land will be used for the so-called Elementary School F. Money for the school has not yet been budgeted.

The school board approved the purchase in August. It is funded by a 2007 bond.

Commissioner Joe Bowser voted against the purchase, citing concerns about spending the money during an ailing economy and the possible damage that rock blasting on the land might have to nearby homes.

Voting yes were Chairman Michael Page, Vice Chairwoman Ellen Reckhow and Commissioner Becky Heron. Commissioner Brenda Howerton was absent.

Reckhow said now is the time to take advantage of the land's depressed price instead of waiting until later when the price might spike. She also cited overcrowding and trailers at nearby schools and said further delays aren't warranted.

Heron said she was concerned about the transportation costs for students to get to the new school once it is built. But Hugh Osteen, assistant superintendent of operational services, said the location of the school will reduce driving expenses for many students because it will be near their homes.

Osteen said the school is likely to operate on a traditional schedule instead of a year-round one, but added that no decision has been made on that yet.

In other action, commissioners voted to:

- Release $3,511,300 in bond money for an addition and renovations to Club Boulevard Elementary School.

- Give $9,057 to the Center for Community Self-Help to relocate and redevelop Maplewood Park in the West End neighborhood of Southwest Central Durham.

- Give $55,611 to Friends of the Mountain to Sea Trail to buy and install a 100-foot steel pedestrian bridge over Little Lick Creek on the Mountains to Sea Trail at Falls Lake.

- Allocate $12,507 to the Woodcroft Community Association for a fitness trail on the existing Woodcroft walking trail.

The latter three items, totaling $77,175, were recommended by the Matching Grants Committee of the Durham Open Space and Trails Commission.